Stackable pallet container fitted with a top reinforcement frame

ABSTRACT

A stackable pallet container ( 1 ) for transportation and/or storage of substances has at least an inner parallelepiped-shaped pouch ( 20 ) fit with a tap and has a filling opening closed by a cap. A peripheral protective cage ( 30 ) surrounds the internal pouch ( 20 ) to reinforce the container ( 1 ). The cage ( 30 ) takes the form of a wire mesh ( 31 ) with vertical ( 32 ) and horizontal ( 33 ) bars welded together at their respective points of intersection ( 34 ). The container ( 1 ) further has a pallet ( 10 ) on which the internal pouch ( 20 ) rests, and a top reinforcement frame ( 40 ) connects the sides ( 35 ) of the peripheral cage ( 30 ) at the top thereof to rigidify the container ( 1 ). The reinforcement frame ( 40 ) has at least four independent rigid bars ( 41 ) arranged in the same plane and each is connected removably and diagonally to two adjacent sides of the cage ( 30 ) by fixing brackets ( 50 ).

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a stackable pallet container.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are currently numerous types of stackable pallet containers for the transportation and/or storage of hazardous substances, chemical or food products or powdered solids. Examples can be found in patents FR2763044 or FR2728238.

Typically, these pallet containers comprise an internal pouch fit with a tap and a filling opening closed by a cap. A peripheral protective cage surrounds the internal pouch to reinforce the container. The protective cage takes the form of a wire mesh with vertical and horizontal bars welded together at their respective points of intersection and a bottom pallet made of wood, a plastics material or metal on which the internal pouch rests.

These solutions are not entirely satisfactory, however, because the rigidity of the assembly is not optimized and it is difficult to stack such containers.

A solution to this problem has been proposed particularly in patents FR2596360 and EP2623435, which describe containers similar to those previously described but in which an upper reinforcement structure (stacking crosspiece) is present specifically to allow the containers to be stacked.

Despite this, these reinforcement devices are unsatisfactory as regards enabling a good load distribution when stacking.

An aim of the invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem with a solution that is simple to manufacture, cheap, easy to use and optimized in terms of effectiveness.

SUMMARY

The invention relates to a stackable pallet container for the transportation and/or storage of hazardous substances, chemical or food products or powdered solids. The container has at least an inner parallelepiped-shaped high-density polyethylene pouch fitted at the bottom with a tap and comprising at the top a filling opening closed by a cap. A peripheral protective cage surrounds the internal pouch to reinforce the container. The protective cage takes the form of a wire mesh with vertical and horizontal bars welded together at their respective points of intersection. The container further has a bottom pallet made of wood, plastics material or metal, on which the internal pouch rests. A top reinforcement frame connects the side of the peripheral cage at the top thereof to rigidify the container. The reinforcement frame has at least four independent rigid bars arranged in the same plane and each is connected removably and diagonally to two adjacent sides of the cage by means of fixing brackets.

The container according to the present invention may have at least one of the following characteristics:

all of the bars of the reinforcement frame are identical and each has a straight main central portion continued on both sides by a bent portion so that the end of each bent portion is perpendicular to the side of the reinforcement cage to which the bar is connected;

each fixing bracket is welded to the end of each bar and has a general inverted “U” shape straddling the upper edge of the mesh and comprises a first segment attached to the outside of the peripheral cage and a second segment connected to the bar;

the segments of each fixing bracket are connected together with the aid of at least one screw designed to bring said segments together to form a clamping jaw so as to hold the said bar firmly on the peripheral cage;

the internal pouch has at its top a recess in which the reinforcement frame is housed;

the recess is of a depth such that the reinforcement frame does not extend beyond the top of the internal pouch, or is flush with it; and

the recess matches the shape of the bars and for this purpose has a straight portion continued by at least one bent portion to receive one of the bent portions of each bar.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the particular embodiments given purely by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention comprising an internal pouch and an external reinforcement cage.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective top view of a detail of the top of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is another detailed view of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 8 to 10 are front, side and top views of the pouch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a container 1 according to the invention that can be used for transportation and/or storage of hazardous substances (acids for example), chemical or food products or powdered solids.

This container 1 basically comprises a bottom pallet 10 on which rests an internal high-density polyethylene parallelepiped-shaped pouch 20 fit at the bottom 21 with a draining tap 22 and comprising at its top 23 a filling opening closed by a cap 24.

The pallet 10 is for example made of a plastics material and has various openings 11 and 12 that intersect for the forks of a handling truck to pass through.

The internal pouch 20 is surrounded by a protective peripheral cage 30 to reinforce the container 1. The protective cage 30 takes the form of a wire mesh 31 with vertical 32 and horizontal 33 bars welded together at their respective points of intersection 34 to form walls 35 having an upper edge 36.

The top of the container 1 has an upper reinforcement frame 40 made of steel tubes connecting the walls 35 of the reinforcement peripheral cage 30 to rigidify the container.

More precisely, the reinforcement frame 40 is connected to the reinforcement peripheral cage 30 in a removable manner by means of fixing brackets 50 attached to the mesh 31.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the reinforcement frame 40 comprises four independent rigid bars 41 arranged in the same plane above the pouch 20. The bars 41 have, for example, a square section and are made of steel. Each bar 40 diagonally connects two adjacent sides 35 of the peripheral reinforcement cage 30.

More precisely, each bar 41 comprises a straight main central portion 42 continued on both sides by a bent portion 43 substantially S-shaped so that the end 43 a of each bent portion 43 is perpendicular to the side 35 of the reinforcement peripheral cage 30 to which the said bar 41 is connected.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each fixing bracket 50 has a general inverted “U” shape straddling the top edge 36 of the mesh 31 and comprises a first segment 51 attached to the outside of the reinforcement peripheral cage 30 and a second section 52 connected to the end 43 a of the corresponding bar 41 by welding, for example.

Furthermore, sections 51 and 52 of each fixing bracket 50 are joined together with the aid of at least one screw 53 to draw the sections together to form a clamping jaw so as to hold each bar 41 of the frame 40 firmly on the reinforcement peripheral cage 30.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the internal pouch 20 has at its top 23 a recess 26 in which the reinforcement frame 40 is housed.

More precisely, the recess 26 is of a depth so that each bar 41 of the reinforcement frame does not extend beyond the top 23 of the pouch 20, or is flush with it.

Advantageously, the recess 26 matches the shape of the bars 41 and for this purpose has a straight portion 27 continued by at least one bent portion 28 to receive one of the bent portions 43 of each bar.

The container 1 thus made has good rigidity enabling it to withstand impacts and be stackable. Moreover, the reinforcement frame 40 being removable makes it possible, if necessary, to remove the internal pouch 20 to replace or repair it.

Clearly, the detailed description of the subject-matter of the invention, given purely by way of example, in no way constitutes a limitation, equivalent techniques also being included in the scope of the present invention.

Thus, the pallet can be made of wood or a plastics material. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A stackable pallet container (1) for transportation and/or storage of hazardous substances, chemical or food products or powdered solids, comprising: an inner parallelepiped-shaped high-density polyethylene pouch (20) fit at the bottom with a tap and having at the top a filling opening closed by a cap, a peripheral protective cage (30) surrounding the internal pouch (20) to reinforce the container (1), the protective cage (30) taking the form of a wire mesh (31) with vertical (32) and horizontal (33) bars welded together at their respective points of intersection (34), a bottom pallet (10) made of wood, plastics material or metal, on which the internal pouch (20) rests, a top reinforcement frame (40) connecting the sides (35) of the peripheral cage (30) at the top thereof to rigidify the container (1), wherein the reinforcement frame (40) comprises at least four independent rigid bars (41) arranged in the same plane and each being connected removably and diagonally to two adjacent sides of the cage (30) by fixing brackets (50).
 2. The container (1) of claim 1, wherein all of the bars (41) of the reinforcement frame (40) are identical and each comprises a straight main central portion (42) continued on both sides by a bent portion (43) so that the end (43) of each of the bent portions (43) is perpendicular to the side (35) of the reinforcement cage (20) to which the bar (41) is connected.
 3. The container (1) of claim 2, wherein each fixing bracket (50) is welded to the end of each bar (41) and has a general inverted “U” shape straddling an upper edge (36) of the mesh and comprises a first segment (51) attached to the outside of the peripheral cage (30) and a second segment (52) connected to the bar (41).
 4. The container (1) of claim 3, wherein the segments (51, 52) of each fixing bracket (50) are connected together with by at least one screw (50) configured to bring the segments (51, 52) together to form a clamping jaw so as to hold the bar (42) firmly on the peripheral cage (30).
 5. The container (1) of claim 1, wherein the internal pouch (20) has a top (23) with a recess (26) in which the reinforcement frame (40) is housed.
 6. The container (1) of claim 5, wherein the recess (26) has a depth such that the reinforcement frame (40) does not extend beyond the top (23) of the internal pouch (20), or is flush with it.
 7. The container (1) of claim 5, wherein the recess (26) matches the shape of the bars (41) and for this purpose has a straight portion (27) continued by at least one bent portion (28) to receive one of the bent portions (43) of each bar (41). 